Products · Food storage & kitchen · U-Konserve
U-Konserve Round Stainless Steel Nesting Food Containers, set of 3
Reader ratings
Three small 304 stainless steel containers with clear silicone lids, about $30. Spare lids are sold separately for under $3. Not for the microwave. The safety and testing claims are the maker's own; we found no report.
Best for Packing snacks, sauces, dips and small portions, or children's lunches, without plastic touching the food.
- Our rating
- Fair (3.3 of 5)
- Price range
- Budget
- Size
- 3 round containers (5, 9 and 16 oz) with 3 silicone lids; they nest inside each other
- Made in
- Designed in Chicago and made in China in BSCI-audited factories, according to the maker
approx. $30 for the set of 3 (5 oz, 9 oz and 16 oz)
See it on U-Konserve’s site → (opens in a new tab)We are not affiliated with U-Konserve. This link goes to the maker’s own page, with no tracking code. How we're funded.
Also sold at Amazon ($30), Sports Basement ($35) .
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Your review
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How we evaluated it
How it scores Our rating, metric by metric
- What touches the food 45% of the rating 4 of 5
Food touches 304 steel and clear silicone lids, both named, with nothing else listed. The lids are full silicone covers, not just a gasket.
- Independent testing 15% of the rating 2 of 5
The maker says CPSIA-accredited labs tested for BPA, BPS and phthalates and that the silicone meets LFGB, but publishes no lab, report or date.
- Durability 15% of the rating 3 of 5
Replacement clear lids cost $2.49 to $2.99, which keeps a set going, but we found no warranty and returns are 30 days.
- Trust 10% of the rating 3 of 5
No recalls or Prop 65 notices, and the page lists materials and limits. The testing and steel-grade claims have no documents behind them.
- Value 15% of the rating 3 of 5
$29.99 for three containers is about $1 an ounce, in line with other steel boxes and far above glass.
The rating, 3.3 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank food storage & kitchen and our standard.
Where to buy Stores and the prices we saw
- Amazon (opens in a new tab) approx. $30. Set of 3 (5, 9 and 16 oz) with clear lids at $29.99. Sold by Everware Market, a third-party seller, and shipped by Amazon; opened 2026-10-23.
- Sports Basement (opens in a new tab) approx. $35. Listed as the Round Nesting Trio (Set of 3), clear, 16, 9 and 5 oz, vendor U-Konserve, at $34.99, against $29.99 at U-Konserve. Marked available to ship or pick up in store when opened 2026-10-23.
Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.
What it’s made of What touches your food, water, skin or air
- 304 (18/8) stainless steel containers
- Clear silicone lids, described as platinum-grade and filler-free
- Tare weights are etched, not printed
What people ask Worries raised online and elsewhere, and what we found
- Is the silicone lid really clean? Silicone is not automatically free of metals.
- U-Konserve says its lids are platinum-cured silicone with no fillers, and that they meet FDA and LFGB rules, but shows no certificate. For scale, Lead Safe Mama's XRF screening (opens in a new tab) found 20 ppm cadmium and 11 ppm antimony in the silicone rim of a different brand's lid. We found no test of U-Konserve's silicone.
- Does nickel come out of stainless steel into food?
- Some can, mostly in hot, acidic cooking. A 2017 lab study (opens in a new tab) of 316 steel pots found nickel and chromium release rose with cooking time and acidity, was higher in unused pots, and stayed below allergy thresholds. It tested hour-long hot cooking, so cold storage of dry or mild food is a milder case. People with a nickel allergy may still prefer glass.
- Where is it made, and who checks the factory?
- U-Konserve's product information page (opens in a new tab) says the containers are designed in Chicago and made in China in BSCI-certified factories. BSCI is a social-audit scheme, not a food-contact safety test.
- Can it go in the microwave or a hot oven?
- No microwave. The maker rates the containers oven safe to 300°F, and says the steel alone (without the silicone cover) can go hotter or under the broiler, though it may discolor above 450°F. Move food to a plate to reheat it in the microwave.
Why we chose it What put it on our list
- The materials are named: 304 (18/8) stainless steel and platinum-grade silicone, and U-Konserve calls the lids plastic-free.
- Heat limits are written down: dishwasher safe, freezer safe, oven safe to 300°F, hotter only without the silicone cover, and not for the microwave.
- Replacement lids are sold separately for the 5, 9 and 16 oz sizes, at $2.49 to $2.99 in clear (colors are $1.49), so a worn lid does not end the set.
- The tare weights are etched into the steel rather than printed, so no ink sits on the food surface.
Trade-offs What to weigh before you buy
- No test report is published. The 304 steel, BPA, BPS, phthalate and lead statements are the maker's own, and we found no independent test of the containers or lids.
- Each lid is a full silicone cover that touches the food, which costs points under our standard. Silicone is not fully inert: see the concern above.
- They are small. The largest holds 16 oz, so they suit snacks and sides, not meals. No warranty is stated and returns are accepted for 30 days.
- Made in China. The factories are audited under BSCI, which checks working conditions, not the food-contact materials.
What to know Details worth knowing first
Our guide to reducing microplastics recommends keeping food in glass, ceramic or stainless steel rather than plastic, and a BPA-free plastic label is not enough. These containers are steel with silicone lids and nothing else, which is the point.
They are small and cheap, and U-Konserve sells the lids separately, which is what decides whether a set lasts. The limits to know are oven to 300°F, hotter only without the lid, and no microwave.
The claims about materials and testing are the maker's own. U-Konserve says independent labs tested the set and that the silicone meets European food-contact rules, but it publishes no report. Silicone is a polymer, and our cutting-board guide cites a lab study in which silicone baking moulds released siloxanes into meat loaf above the migration limit, though very little into milk-based foods. Those were baking moulds, not lids, but it is a reason to keep the lids away from hot, fatty food.
What we checked Each claim, and how sure we are of it
| What we checked | What we found |
|---|---|
| Glass or steel where food touches Maker’s claim | 304 (18/8) stainless steel, as stated on the product page. No mill certificate. |
| Lids and seals you can name Maker’s claim | Lids are platinum-grade silicone, described as plastic-free and filler-free, and said to meet FDA and LFGB standards. |
| Written heat limits Maker’s claim | Dishwasher safe, freezer safe, oven safe to 300°F; without the silicone cover the steel can go hotter but may discolor above 450°F. Not for the microwave. |
| Replaceable parts Maker’s claim | Lids for the round 5, 9 and 16 oz containers are sold separately at $2.49 to $2.99 in clear and $1.49 in colors (checked 2026-10-23). No warranty is stated. |
| BPA, BPS, phthalates and lead Maker’s claim | "No BPA, BPS, phthalates, or lead", stated by the maker, which says CPSIA-accredited labs tested it. No report. |
| No coatings, paint or printed inks Maker’s claim | The page lists stainless steel and silicone only, and says the tare weights are etched. |
| Recalls and notices Verified | No CPSC recall and no Prop 65 notice names U-Konserve (searched 2026-10-23). |
What the labels mean
- Verified We opened an independent record that confirms it: a certifier’s listing, a regulator’s list or a lab report. It is linked under Sources.
- Maker’s claim The maker says so on its own page or label. We read it but found no independent record.
- Not verified We looked and could not confirm it, or the maker does not say. Treat it as unknown.
Sources Where our facts come from
- U-Konserve Round Stainless Steel Nesting Food Containers, Set of 3, product page. Maker’s page. Price, materials, heat limits and care, read 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U-Konserve product information: materials, care and manufacturing. Maker’s page. Source for the testing statement, the LFGB claim, the 300°F and 450°F limits and made in China (BSCI). Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U-Konserve silicone lids for round containers. Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- U-Konserve refund policy. Maker’s page. 30-day returns with a $4 restocking fee. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Guarneri and Costa 2017: Release of nickel and chromium in common foods during cooking in 18/10 (grade 316) stainless steel pots (PubMed). Test report. A different grade of steel (316) and hot cooking, used here only for scale. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Lead Safe Mama: modern Pyrex glass and silicone lid, XRF results. Test report. A different brand's silicone, used for context. The site earns affiliate income from some product links. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- CPSC recall search for U-Konserve, run 2026-10-23. Certifier or regulator listing. No recalls. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- California Attorney General: Prop 65 60-day notice search. Certifier or regulator listing. Searched on 2026-10-23; nothing named U-Konserve. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Alternatives Other options to compare
- Klean Kanteen Rise Food Box A single 23 oz steel box with a silicone lid, about $27. Larger, with a lifetime warranty, but no replacement lid is sold.
- Life Without Plastic Round Stainless Steel Take-Out Container A 1.1 L steel container with a steel lid, about $32. Made in South Korea, with a seal that cannot be replaced.